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Rev. Carlton Rodgers
Rev. Carlton Rodgers is a rostered pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and is now entering his 22nd year of service as pastor of the Tabernacle Evangelical Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, PA.
A graduate of Drexel University, Rev. Rodgers went on to earn his Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 2005.
Prior to his becoming a Lutheran, Rev. Rodgers was a life long member of the historic Mother African Zoar United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, Pa. — one of the oldest and most influential African American congregations in the nation.
Founded in 1794 by 18 Black members who separated from St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church due to racial discrimination, Zoar holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating African American congregation in the United Methodist tradition. Its legacy is deeply intertwined with early Methodism, racial justice, and the shaping of Black religious life in Philadelphia.
Before entering full‑time ministry, Rev. Rodgers spent more than 25 years employed as a Systems Analyst at the Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC) in Philadelphia, a facility long responsible for supplying food, clothing, textiles, and medical materials to U.S. military forces around the world.
During his tenure at DPSC, Carlton began formal theological studies at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary before transferring to the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, where he completed his Master of Divinity. While at LTSP, he chose to join the Lutheran tradition and entered the SEPA Synod’s candidacy process. He was soon appointed to serve as the long‑term supply pastor at the Calvary Lutheran Church in West Philadelphia, under the mentorship of the late Rev. Richard Stewart.
Rev. Rodgers eventually received a part‑time call to Calvary Lutheran Church in West Philadelphia and was ordained and installed as its pastor by Bishop Roy Almquist on January 13, 2002. Shortly after his retirement from federal employment, Rev. Rodgers was called to Tabernacle on a part time basis in July 2003, and accepted a call to pastor the church on a fulltime basis in October 2004.
Over the past two decades, Rev. Rodgers has served the local church and synod in a number of capacities, and remains a strong, vocal advocate for the Lutheran congregations in the city, and for the pastors who have been called to serve them. His service includes time as Dean of the SEPA Synod’s Central Philadelphia Conference and as a founding member of the recently formed Cobbs Creek Coalition of Lutheran Churches.
Rev. Rodgers along with the Rev. Paul Hagedorn are co-authors of the "“Fortifying Ministries in Underserved Urban Areas” memorial that was formally adopted by the churchwide Assembly in 2024 which calls for a churchwide discussion on the changing needs of Lutheran congregations and pastors serving in an urban context.
In addition to his pastoral ministry, Rev. Rodgers is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation and serves as an "active status" coach within the ELCA’s Coaching Network.
Rev. Rodgers is married to his wife Lucille, has a daughter (Jasmine), two stepsons (Dennis and Aaron), and seven grandchildren.
While employed at DPSC, Rev. Rodgers was actively involved in creating a climate of equal employment opportunity for all employees and served as the President of DPSC's Minority Male Alliance.
At the time, MMA was the only federally sanctioned self help support group organized to assist in the upward mobility of federally employed males of color.
